But if Fremantle skipper Matthew Pavlich is able to hoist the premiership cup about 5.30pm on Saturday, there will be a collective nod of heads.

Pavlich doesn’t deserve it any more than Luke Hodge does, or Max Bailey, of Brian Lake, yet his journey is one of resilience, respect and crazy loyalty.

He rejected million-dollar offers from afar, from both South Australian clubs and Carlton, and at times you wondered if he was making the right decision.

Such was Fremantle’s ineptness on the national stage, Pavlich arguably had earned the right to seek greener pastures, because a football career is short, and failure can menace the minds of even the most balanced sports person.

Since his debut in 2000, the Dockers have finished 12th, 16th, 13th, fifth, ninth, 10th, third, 11th, 14th, 14th, sixth, 11th, seventh and this year awaits. That’s eight double-figure positions on the ladder from 14 seasons.

Through 2007-2009, the Dockers were diabolic.

In Round 4, 2009 at Etihad Stadium against St Kilda, the Dockers kicked 4.4 (28) on the competition’s easiest ground to score on. In Round 15, of the same year, they kicked a humiliating 1.7 against Adelaide and lost by 117 points.

Basket-case teams were quietly chuffed, because no matter how bad they were performing, the Dockers were always worse.

Even in coach Mark Harvey’s final season, 2011, where the Dockers showed vast improvement, their last seven games of the season produced scores of 64, 44, 72, 85, 45, 52 and 61. The Dockers had some pluck, but they couldn’t kick goals.

Harvey was sacked and Ross Lyon was hired in a clandestine hit and run assignment, which history would now record as the most critical decision in the club’s 19-year history.

Pavlich has lived the turmoil and mostly thrived.

Saturday night was his 290th game. He is the club’s greatest player and a future of Hall of Famer.

But he, too, shouldered blame for being the champion that he is. There was a period when Pavlich, in big moments in big games, seem to hit the post at every second attempt at goal.

It would beg the question: Has he the big-match temperament to lead his team in a September campaign?

In 2007, former St Kilda coach Grant Thomas famously asked whether Pavlich would rather play great in a Fremantle loss or play poorly in a Fremantle win. Thomas though the former. It was a slicing comment from Thomas, directed squarely at Pavlich’s leadership priorities.

"There’s never been any question about his football ability," Thomas said.

"In the areas where I think he has improved significantly and I firmly believe, and stand by comments I made in the past about him, I didn’t see him as a great team leader.

"I saw him as a guy driven to be as a good a player as he could be himself, but I didn’t believe he was selfless team leader.

"He’s now the complete package and has been for a few years.’’

Lyon has a wealth of terrific subjects to add to the pre-Grand Final commentary and didn’t forget his skipper on Saturday night.

To be where they are, there had to be buy-in, Lyon said, and Pavlich and key backman Luke McPharlin were front and square. Thomas reckons Lyon has able to squeeze from Pavlich the final fragments of greatness.

"Ross has been able to take him up another notch again, even it’s only been a few per cent,’’ Thomas said.

"Pav gets a lot of strength from having a strong leader like Ross. Ross won’t let anyone get away from playing selfishly or playing for themselves and you know what I’ve noticed about Pav is when Freo when under Ross have been dominating sides, he’s kept it together.

"Six or seven years ago, Pav would’ve been jumping on the bandwagon, trying to kick eight goals and do it himself.

“Now, he is the sort of player who gets as much enjoyment out of helping a teammate to succeed than him doing it himself.’’

Again, premiership cups are not for good blokes alone, but in Pavlich, there’s a sense not so much of destiny, but of reward. Still, he will have to earn it.

CLEARLY, the most obvious match-up on Saturday will be Ryan Crowley and Sam Mitchell.

And the question already being asked is: How will Mitchell beat him?

It's selling short the superstar Hawks midfielder, as if Crowley's reputation means he already has Mitchell's measure. Mitchell is a champ of the game and has been tagged countless times, so a close-checking opponent won't be something new.

True, Crowley is the pre-eminent tagger in the game. He possesses a want to compete, concentration, desperation, vast knowledge of how to cut off his opponents at stoppages, and seemingly has the ability to be a constant distraction for his opponent.

Would love to eaves drop on one of Crowley's conversations on the field. We were enlightened to the conversation he had with Steve Johnson after the qualifying final, and unfortunately it can't be re-printed. Fs and Cs were popular, as was the age of the Geelong group.

Others, we're not so sure about, such as the chin wags he had with Keiren Jack on Saturday night.

Strangely, Crowley often does it with a smile.

Not everyone is enamoured with Crowley, but he can't be denied. If anyone embodies the spirit of coach Ross Lyon it is him, and he will need every bit of it to take on the Hawks and Mitchell on Saturday.

Crowley is not as dirtier a player as is believed, and Mitchell is certainly not the choir boy as much as it is suggested. It means Crowley can expect as good as he gets.

Mitchell has a subtle nastiness about him - which is often softened by the use of the word competitive - and he won't hesitate to go after Crowley if given the chance. Bluntly, Crowley can expect some violence coming his way. Jordan Lewis will have an eye on him and Brent Guerra would sieze any opportunity.

Mitchell is a player who does everything well, not least running around the back of teammate to get the short handball and cheap kick. The Hawks should give it to him as much as they can, and then let loose a body shot on the trailing Crowley. Again and again.

Mitchell won't get as much loose ball as he did on Friday night against the Cats, so when he presents for the short kick, his teammate should bring him into the game as much as possible and as much as it's a good option.

This is not a column advocating malicious violence, but you do sense it will be an aggressive Grand Final. The Dockers are hungry, manic and play for keeps. The Hawks are the same.

The game may well be decided by the outcome of the Mitchell-Crowley match-up, and both their teammates would acknowledge that.

It means everyone will be helping everyone, one team plying as much pressure to Mitchell and the other team as much harassment to Crowley.

Seriously, can't wait.

Fremantle v Sydney Likes 1. Nat Fyfe. Overtaken Lenny Hayes as the The Tackle favorite and who could argue. Was first compared to James Hird three years ago, when Fyfe was announcing himself, and now the Hird comparison cannot go unsaid when the topic is the brilliant Dockers midfielder. Twenty-seven touches at a respectable 67 per cent, game-high 15 contested possessions, six clearances and two goals made it a huge finals game. Norm Smiths have a habit of announcing great players and feel he plays the game in a manner which would make him worthy. Will drop a hunge on him being best afield. What about Hill into the Dockers? Surely you'd get 25s.2. Pressure. Seriously, a question for anyone who has played or watched this sport for an extended period: Was the first half the single greatest application of pressure football you have seen? Off the top of my head, yes. When the Swans grabbed the ball, they were jumped on by three or four Dockers. The tackling, the harassment, the hard bodies ... it was brutal. Chris Mayne laid 13 tackles as a forward and Ballantyne eight and the team 71. It must be noted, the Swans topped the 100 mark in last year's Grand Final, so we can expect it to be even more intense than what it was on Saturday night.3. Michael Barlow. We were asked to pick our Brownlow Medal ''smokie'' pick, and this bloke was to be mine. Once again, he goes about his footy in a quiet determination. Had 24 touches and eight tackles and if there's a stat for most handballs while being tackled and keeping your feet, then Barlow would probably lead that. He is the ideal player for finals football: strong body, strong mind, good decision-maker. Will say it again, this bloke is tough. When he broke his leg he didn't writhe in agony on the ground, his first instinct were stand up and try to stay in the game.4. Michael Walters. Still bemused why Walters wasn't an All Australian, and not just because he played so wonderfully well against the Swans. Kicked 44 goals for the season, the same as Geelong's Steve Motlop, and is a far better mark than his Cats counterpart. Does benefit from the defensive pressure applied by Mayne and Ballantyne, but he does put himself in the right positions to make the most of those benefits. His mark going back with the flight of the ball in the third quarter makes him a danger man this week. Who gets him? Guerra?5. Respect. AFL teams have made it a habit to send off its champs with class. The Dockers lining up in the post-match to salute Jude Bolton was all that and more. And to Jude, thanks for a glorious career when the team came first in every one of your 320-odd games.

Dislikes 1. Midfield shellacking. No Jack, no Hannebery, no O'Keefe meant no Swans. If they were to win, those three had to break even at least in the midfield and they didn't come close. Just 42 touches and four clearances between them meant the Swans were playing catch-up from the centre bounce. The positive? Luke Parker had a mighty late-season surge.2. Gary Rohan's finals. The young man will be a player, but he wasn't this finals series. Dropped after the loss to Hawthorn, he returned for the Dockers clash as the sub, which didn't give him time to really contribute in a game lost early. Can't wait to see him next year. His confidence will be stronger as will his body.3. Poor kicking. The Dockers - and the Hawks for that matter - got away with it at the weekend, but history tells us Grand Finals can be lost because of bad kicking for goal. The Dockers kicked 2.9 in the first quarter and then 12.6 after that. That first quarter could've been a killer, as acknowledged by Ross Lyon post-match.4. Swans forward line. It dried up in the finals and the Swans will need a thorough review. They kicked more than 100 points eight times between in Rounds 9-19, but finished with ony two 100-plus scores in its finals seven games. The three finals returned scores of 51, 86 and 74. They lost Tippett, Goodes didn't get back, McGlynn missed one final, and the midfield, so generating through the season, couldn't hit the scoreboard when it mattered most.

Best tweets@ivezica: LIKES: Crowley ensures the Dockers play against 21 every week. GUN! DISLIKES: Freo can't wear purple!!?? WTF ‏@jpburston97: freo's pressure was that intimidating that it didn't have to replicate it in the second half and still won comfortably@kelloveslife: like-muting tv 4 radio commentary to hear & see Freo great win dislike-Freo deciding to wear white away strip @sportsmadash: like - seeing a new team in the GF. dislike - the end of a great career is always sad. Thanks for the memories Jude Bolton@AhmadRabah19: Like freo kamikaze football and the guard of honour for Jude. Dislike the amount of 50 meter penalties for 50/50 calls@herberthodgson: Like: Ryan Crowley, if he was a fullback we'd be comparing him to Sos! Should be AA but I'm sure he'll take a premiership@TheBiggsOne: L: James Hird... I mean Nat Fyfe, what a player. Never seen such pressure in 1st half Freo v Syd. D: very little @NichBaker: Like: Jude Bolton. The Tackle salutes The Tackler. Dislike: Seeing Lyon, Kirk, Stone & Freo out-Swan my Swans ‏@tjmavrick: Like Freo faithful and players sending Jude off in style-standing ovation. Dislike the thought of a 36 hour car trip to MCG@daveorma L: everything there is about Nat Fyfe D: he doesn't play for Adelaide

Geelong v Hawthorn Likes 1. Sam Mitchell. Given so much room, you'd think the Cats didn't rate the Hawks midfielder. Maybe they thought he wouldn't hurt them by foot. They got it wrong. Thirty-two touches, 11 clearances (nine centre square) and eight inside 50s was clearly a major difference. Match-up stats had Steve Johnson and Joel Corey playing 23 minutes each on him. In that time, Mitchell had 24 touches and the other two eight between them. Johnson clearly played wide of Mitchell and vice versa.2. Shaun Burgoyne: Twenty-six touches in the qualifying final against Sydney and a back-up of 24 and three goals in the preliminary makes him a big-game contributor. If you’re looking for game changers then Burgoyne was the man. Huge second half, where his sure hands and safe kicking had the Hawks steady. My favourite play wasn't his goals or clearance work, it was his tackle on James Bartel midway through the final quarter, which gave Brad Hill his goal. From that moment, the Hawks knew it was possible.3. Steve Johnson. If the Hawks lost, they would also rue giving him too much space to execute. What a player. Thirty-two touches and four goals, eight marks and five clearances were the numbers, but the written word doesn't adequately describe his impact. When he had the ball, the game was alive, which is a hell of a quality. For absolute hold-your-breath anticipation, he's in the same card game as Peter Daicos, Jeff Farmer, Jason Akermanis and Gaz when playing forward.4. David Hale. Have underestimated the big fella this finals series and in two games has showed why he so important. In two games, he's returned 31 touches, 13 marks, 32 hit outs and four goals. Against the Cats, he was as dangerous as any player in the zone between the centre circle and the 50m line, and his bump of Blicavs in the final quarter, when three Cats were about to rush the ball forward, was perhaps the one percenter of the game. Now, can he and Bailey nullify Sandilands? If they do, Hale deserves the ''player of the finals'' trophy - do footy clubs still award them?5. Brad Hill. Sometimes am fearful the young man is going to get cut in half by his converging opponents, but he always manages to avoid it. Not always comprehensive with his disposal but there's no denying his ability to run and present. His sprint for the ball in the final quarter, which led to Gunston's goal was defining. He and his brother Stephen is the family story of the Grand Final. Feel for their mum and dad.

Dislikes 1. Brendan Whitecross. You couldn’t even pick it as a doomsday prediction. When Whitecross went down in the final quarter, it so innocuous a repeat ACL tear was the furthermost thing from your mind. That's two knee reconstructions in consecutive finals series, and his mental state will be tested many times between now and when he returns. Credit to the man, though. He was at the VFL Grand Final on Sunday supporting his mates. It's little wonder Whitecross is one of the most popular players at the club.2. Varcoe bashing. His final kick will forever haunt him and the Cats, but it wasn't a choke, it was a skill error at an unfortunate time. As said, Varcoe didn't lose the game, he simply didn't take the opportunity to win it. His error was one of hundreds in the game. The same could be said of Jimmy Bartel's fumble in the goal square and dribble kick to Brad Hill who goaled to make the margin just 12 points.3. Careers over. James Podsiadly had two finals stinkers and the question will be asked, but suspect he will get another year. Josh Hunt is gone. And Joel Corey is safer than Paul Chapman, although the two of them could also be ''retired'' together. Chapman is the greatest fear. A bomb of a first final, he missed the second because of suspension, and as yet has not been told by the club if he will get a new contract. It doesn't bode well. Maybe if he drops his salary to $250,00 from about $475,000 (guessing) they could accommodate him. If not, then thanks Chappy, you were a champion of the club. 4. Bad umpiring. The decision to award a 50m penalty against Jordan Lewis for his forearm into Joel Selwood in the first quarter, and where Steve Johnson kicked the goal, was blatantly over the top. The Cyril Rioli mark and play on decision didn't seem right. The out of bounds off Rivers was another one, but to be fair, at normal motion, it was difficult to tell who's foot the ball came off. 5. Poor form. Where do you start? Franklin and Roughead won't get it any easier against McPharlin, Dawson and Johnson. Brad Sewell couldn't get into it after injuring his finger early. And Cyril had flecks of magic and long periods of non-involvement. It says plenty about the Hawks that they can win anyhow.

Best tweets @cviney2: like David Hales bump in the last qtr to out body opp and win the ball! There was nothing to dislike! ‏@itsNinty: like: Geelong's year. Rebuilding and making finals. dislike: Hawks beating the Cats at both levels.@Twiggyflow: like: Cam Guthrie. Turning into a champ before our eyes these finals. Dislike: Footy is nearly done for the year :(@_Willo_ : like: Cam Guthrie and Josh Caddy Friday night dislike: Hawthorn and my tweets never making the tackle@Macattack5005: like: Hawks v Cats, Hale early, Burgoyne & Mitchell all class. Dislike: Hawks kicking - will it cost them another GF?@DrSwishh: How would it be if Hawthorn said to Buddy "Commit to us this week or you're a late withdrawal with an elbow injury"?@bunglebodyjar: two words Varcoe Choke@tigris666: the 50m against Lewis that gave Geelong their first goal. What the hell was that AFL. Please explain.@deansherr: like stevie Js 33 disposals and 4 goals. dislike that he couldnt even get into the AA top 40@spicnspando: like - Everything about Friday night! Dislike - Not knowing what Crowley yaks on about all game@akcassar: Like the Kennett curse being broken finally. Dislike Kennett opening his mouth again the same day. #ShutUpJeff@MsMorelle likes- end of curse, @dangerfield32's purple maze joke. Dislikes- angry cats supporters #settledown #3premiershipsalready@wizzagizza: I've seen a lot of footy played a lot and that first half of Freo was amazing .Hawks have to be better than good@adammilink: Never thought much of Josh Caddy but he was sensational when he came on Friday night

And the best of the rest @foxontherun513: Like bet back in May on Nat Fyfe to win Norm Smith Medal. Dislike May bet of Freo to play Geelong in GF #missedbythatmuch@choo2choo: the Chad winning ports best and fairest... Youngest in 30yrs! ‏@CooneyIsGod: Dislike - the fact that the TAC Cup Grand Final is no longer televised. Ridiculous.@Sportzjunky: #dislike the mess that IS the @brisbanelions board. Undoing all the good work of @voss03 & co since Fev didn't work out@blairdogs: Tutungi accepting his premiership medal as coach would have to be up there Robbo.@thekid_jj: like Michael Voss' special comments #footybrain Dislike: Brisbane's senseless sacking of him without a coach locked away.@Smiddyy23: AFL teams have to be stupid not to pick up Shane Nelson after that performance. Been doing it for last 2 years @WestPerthFC ‏@j_vile: Like: Country footy finals, esp the Brocklesby-Burrumbuttock Saints breaking 60yr premiership drought in Hume League, NSW

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